Should I squeeze the nipples of a newborn baby?

For a newborn baby, any family member will take very careful care of it, but some details will make new mothers not know how to deal with it. Some old people think that the breasts of newborn babies should be squeezed to prevent breast blockage. The old people also think that doing so can help the baby's breast development. This behavior is unacceptable to young people. So, should the nipples of newborn babies be squeezed?

First, do you need to squeeze the nipples of a newborn baby? The nipples of a newborn baby do not need to be squeezed. This bad habit of squeezing the nipples of newborns is the direct cause of neonatal mastitis. Because local squeezing can easily cause skin damage, in addition to causing unnecessary pain to the newborn, it can also allow bacteria on the skin surface to take advantage of the opportunity to enter, causing redness, swelling, heat and pain in the newborn's breasts and mastitis, so the newborn's nipples should not be squeezed.

Second, breast enlargement in newborns is a normal physiological phenomenon, which is the result of the influence of the pregnant mother's body hormones during the fetal period. The fetus and the mother preserve a certain amount of estrogen, progesterone and prolactin through close "material exchange". After birth, these hormones are released, stimulating the mammary glands to enlarge or produce milk. Generally speaking, within 2 to 3 weeks after the baby is born, the hormones in the body will subside on their own and return to normal. Therefore, no special treatment is required, and it should not be squeezed by hand.

Third, the baby's skin is very delicate when it is just born. If parents do not control their strength well, they can easily hurt their baby, especially when squeezing the nipple, because using too little force will have no effect, but using too much force will inevitably cause harm. In mild cases, it will cause marks on the baby's nipples. In severe cases, it will damage the baby's surface tissue, that is, scratch the skin and cause the baby to bleed. Because babies have poor resistance, it is easy for a small wound to cause infection, leading to mastitis. If a baby suffers from mastitis, the obvious symptoms are redness of the surrounding skin and the baby crying and refusing to feed.

Should the nipples of a newborn baby be squeezed? In fact, some of the older generation's statements have no corresponding scientific basis. It is recommended that mothers do not blindly follow the older generation's statements, but have their own judgments, and they must combine rational judgments with science and medicine. Furthermore, if you still cannot make a judgment, you can consult a gynecologist or a pediatrician.